Written warnings should be large, clear and legible, and cover at least half of the pack’s display areas
Warnings should use specified colours, backgrounds and font types and sizes to maximize visibility and ease of comprehension. The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (Article 11) recommends that warnings occupy 50% or more of the principal display area of a tobacco product package and requires that they occupy no less than 30%.
A snapshot of Europe
Of the 51 European countries that provided information in 2007:
- 8 (15.69%) had no mandates;
- 9 (17.65%) had mandates that require less than 30% of principal area to be covered by health warnings;
- 34 (66.67%) had mandates that require more than 30% of principal area to be covered by health warnings;
- 0 of the 34 required at least half of the area to be covered.
Of the 32 European countries that provided information in 2007, 31 (96.88%) required warnings to be large, clear, legible and visible.
What works best
- Larger warnings are more noticeable and effective than smaller ones.
- Smokers are more likely to recall larger warnings, and even tend to equate the size of the warning with the magnitude of risk. One study showed that larger messages are also perceived as more credible.
- Recent studies in Canada show that increasing the size of the health warning from the current size of 50% of the main pack faces to up to 100% would have a greater add-on impact. They also showed that substantial incremental impact from increasing the percentage from 75% to 90%, and from 90% to 100%. This finding was true for both adults and young people.
